The Kerma Culture The Kushites recieved power at a time when Egypt was getting weaker. By about 1600 B.C., the Kushites kingdom had expanded from just the city of Kerma into parts of southern Egypt. These Nubians are known as the Kerma culture. Their kingdom lasted from about 2000 to 1500 B.C. Kerma's Wealth Kerma had much power and lots of wealth, mostly from controlling the trade between Central Africa and Egypt. Some of the artisans' pottery was highly prized and fragile. Some of the objects made by Kerma artisans have been found in pharaohs' tombs. Royal burials were very important to the people of Kerma. Like Egypt, they gave a lot of energy and resources for the burials. If a king were to be buried, the people would find a mound of land as big as a football field!The kings' bodies were placed on gold-covered beds, circled by jewelry, gold, and ivory. Picture of Nubian Pottery Conflict With Egypt In the 1500s B.C., Egypt came back into power and took control of the land. Armies were sent into Nubia by Pharaoh Thutmose. A war lasted for about 50 years, and after that Egyptians took over Nubia and as far south as the fourth cataract. They ruled Nubia for about the next 700 years. Around this time, the Nubians picked up many Egyptian ways. The Nubians even started to worship Egyptian gods (they still worshiped their gods). Throughout these times full of problems and peace, people and goods still passed through Nubia and Egypt. The two cultures became one (or mixed). More Information on Kerma Napata and Meroe In the ancient lands of Kush lay Napata and Meroe just south of Kerma. Napata and Meroe are cities in Kerma. The Kushites rose again to power when the Egyptians ruled. This kingdom was mainly about the city of Nubia then later on Meroe. The Capital of Napata Later in 700 B.C, Egypt became weak (again) and divided. The Kushites expanded their power into Egypt (that was once their capital in Napata). Napatan kings slowly took more control of Egypt. Their capital was first Thebes, but then changed to Memphis.By the time of Taharka, the Nubians ruled all of Egypt! Even the pharaohs of Egypt's Twenty-fifth Dynasty were Nubians. The Napatan kings praised Egyptian culture. They brought back lots of ancient Egyptian rules and preserved them. They even started to build pryamids, so they could bury theirkings. People can still see some of the remains of the small Nubian pyramids. The Napatan kings did not rule for very long.The Capital of MeroeAround 660 B.C., they were demanded to go back to Nubia. After moving south out of Egypt's reach, the Nubians founded a city in ancient Meroe. This city would be found between the 5th and 6th cataracts (found on map above). This city became the center of an empire that included most of Nubia. East of Meroe was the rocky desert. This desert held large deposits of iron ore.Iron plows allowed the Nubians to produce large supplies of food. What allowed the Nubians to control trade routes that ran all the way down to the Red Sea were their iron weapons. They traded goods from central Africa for articles from India, the Arabian Peninsula, and Rome. From this trade Meroe quickly grew rich. To this day Meroe still remains a large mystery. The Nubians of Meroe had their own system of hieroglyphics. These hieroglypics can be found on temples and tombs of their kingdom. In 200 A.D., Meroe began to weaken, and in a century it fell to the African kingdom of Axum. After 350 years features of the Nubian Culture still last. To this day Nubian styles of pottery, furniture, jewlery, and clothing still survive among people of the modern-day African country of Sudan. Bibliography Here are the websites that we used as links or got extra info from. www.pearsonsuccessnet.com (The online Social Studies book) Word Document(our mini test) www.wysinger.homestead.com (our picture link) www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk (one of our info links)
By: Heather Mesko and Katey Clinchy
Section 5: The Cultures Of NubiaKey Terms Used in Lessons:artisan: workers skilled at crafting items by hand.
(Kerma was in the third cataract A map of lower Nubia)Links with more information and our quiz:
Online S.S. Book (go to pg.100-102)(need username)
The Kerma Culture.doc
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The Kerma CultureThe Kushites recieved power at a time when Egypt was getting weaker. By about 1600 B.C., the Kushites kingdom had expanded from just the city of Kerma into parts of southern Egypt. These Nubians are known as the Kerma culture. Their kingdom lasted from about 2000 to 1500 B.C.
Kerma's Wealth
Kerma had much power and lots of wealth, mostly from controlling the trade between Central Africa and Egypt. Some of the artisans' pottery was highly prized and fragile. Some of the objects made by Kerma artisans have been found in pharaohs' tombs. Royal burials were very important to the people of Kerma. Like Egypt, they gave a lot of energy and resources for the burials. If a king were to be buried, the people would find a mound of land as big as a football field! The kings' bodies were placed on gold-covered beds, circled by jewelry, gold, and ivory.
Picture of Nubian Pottery
Conflict With Egypt
In the 1500s B.C., Egypt came back into power and took control of the land. Armies were sent into Nubia by Pharaoh Thutmose. A war lasted for about 50 years, and after that Egyptians took over Nubia and as far south as the fourth cataract. They ruled Nubia for about the next 700 years. Around this time, the Nubians picked up many Egyptian ways. The Nubians even started to worship Egyptian gods (they still worshiped their gods). Throughout these times full of problems and peace, people and goods still passed through Nubia and Egypt. The two cultures became one (or mixed).
More Information on Kerma
Napata and Meroe
In the ancient lands of Kush lay Napata and Meroe just south of Kerma. Napata and Meroe are cities in Kerma. The Kushites rose again to power when the Egyptians ruled. This kingdom was mainly about the city of Nubia then later on Meroe.
The Capital of Napata
Later in 700 B.C, Egypt became weak (again) and divided. The Kushites expanded their power into Egypt (that was once their capital in Napata). Napatan kings slowly took more control of Egypt. Their capital was first Thebes, but then changed to Memphis.By the time of Taharka, the Nubians ruled all of Egypt! Even the pharaohs of Egypt's Twenty-fifth Dynasty were Nubians. The Napatan kings praised Egyptian culture. They brought back lots of ancient Egyptian rules and preserved them. They even started to build pryamids, so they could bury theirkings. People can still see some of the remains of the small Nubian pyramids. The Napatan kings did not rule for very long.The Capital of MeroeAround 660 B.C., they were demanded to go back to Nubia.
After moving south out of Egypt's reach, the Nubians founded a city in ancient Meroe. This city would be found between the 5th and 6th cataracts (found on map above). This city became the center of an empire that included most of Nubia. East of Meroe was the rocky desert. This desert held large deposits of iron ore.Iron plows allowed the Nubians to produce large supplies of food. What allowed the Nubians to control trade routes that ran all the way down to the Red Sea were their iron weapons. They traded goods from central Africa for articles from India, the Arabian Peninsula, and Rome. From this trade Meroe quickly grew rich. To this day Meroe still remains a large mystery. The Nubians of Meroe had their own system of hieroglyphics. These hieroglypics can be found on temples and tombs of their kingdom. In 200 A.D., Meroe began to weaken, and in a century it fell to the African kingdom of Axum. After 350 years features of the Nubian Culture still last. To this day Nubian styles of pottery, furniture, jewlery, and clothing still survive among people of the modern-day African country of Sudan.
Bibliography
Here are the websites that we used as links or got extra info from.
www.pearsonsuccessnet.com
(The online Social Studies book)
Word Document(our mini test)
www.wysinger.homestead.com
(our picture link)
www.digitalegypt.ucl.ac.uk
(one of our info links)
*Take out a piece of paper for the quiz*